The present invention relates to an automatic observation system for microorganisms for observing a natural state of microcytes in a liquid, such as germs in sewerage or yeasts during fermentation, by the use of an on-line system.
In general, there are frequent instances where whether treatment is proper or not can readily be determined if the variety, consistency, and the like of microorganisms in a liquid are specified. More specifically, for sewerage treatment by the use of microorganisms, a variety and dominance species of protozoans such as a ciliate, filamentous fungus, or the like, and a bacterium are observed to determine whether the treatment is proper or not.
FIG. 1 shows an observation system applied to a conventional observation apparatus, for example, that disclosed in Japanese Published Patent Application No. 52-89942. In FIG. 1, reference numerals 1, 2, and 3 designate a container wall for containing liquid to be observed, a magnifying optical system, and a cylindrical housing, respectively. The housing 3 has a waterproof-sealed glass 4 at its forward end and receives therein the magnifying optical system 2 through which the liquid in the container can be observed. Reference numerals 5, 6, and 7 respectively denote a television camera, a strobe lamp, and a light guide of bound optical fibers. Reference numerals 8, 9, and 10 indicate an objective lens, a barrel, and an eye lens, respectively, which constitute the magnifying optical system. Reference numerals 11, 12, and 13 denote a control circuit, a strobe power source, and a television monitor. Reference numerals 14, 15 and 16 indicate an image memory, a signal processing circuit, and an indicator.
The strobe lamp 6 emits pulses of light when the strobe power source 12 is so instructed by the control circuit 11. Upon the generation of each pulse of light, the television camera 5 effects a scanning operation in response to a scanning start signal from the control circuit 11. The area around a focal point f in the liquid is magnified and projected by the magnifying optical system 2 onto an image pickup surface of the television camera 5. The magnified projected image is thereby converted as an image information video signal.
The video signal is inputted to either the television monitor 13 or the picture memory 14 as selected by changeover switches S.sub.1 and S.sub.2. When the video signal is inputted directly to the television monitor 13, the image which is obtained when the strobe lamp 6 emits light is projected onto the screen of the television monitor 13. The resulting video signal is received by the image memory 14 to be processed with the signal processing circuit 15, thereby to display the processed image on the screen of the television monitor 13. The duration of the light pulses emitted by the strobe lamp 6 is suitably adjusted according to magnification of the magnifying optical system 2 and the flow rate of liquid.
In the conventional automatic observation system arranged as described above, microcyclic motion of the microorganisms is made to appear stationary by the flashes emitted by the strobe lamp 6. This results in disadvantages, however, in that a control circuit must be employed to define the timing between the initiation of light emission of the strobe lamp 6 and the scanning of the television camera 5, and the image memory 14 and the signal processing circuit 15 must be provided for a good quality image.
The conventional automatic observation system also requires complicated maintenance and inspection since slime or the like can collect on the forward end 7a of the light guide and the surface of the glass 4.
Moreover, the overall structure of the apparatus limits its installation to the peripheral wall of the container for the liquid to be observed.